New Ireland Forum
Encyclopedia
The New Ireland Forum was a forum in 1983–84 at which Irish nationalist political parties discussed potential political developments that might alleviate the Troubles
in Northern Ireland
. The Forum was established by Garret FitzGerald
, then Taoiseach
, under the influence of John Hume
. The Forum was initially dismissed, by Unionists, Sinn Féin
, and others, as a nationalist talking-shop. The Forum's report, published on 2 May 1984, listed three possible alternative structures: a unitary state, a federal/confederal state, and joint British/Irish authority. The British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, dismissed the three alternatives one by one at a press conference, each time saying, "that is out", in a response that became known as the "out, out, out" speech. However, Garret Fitzgerald, who described the Forum's report as "an agenda not a blueprint", valued it as establishing a nationalist consensus from which the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement
could be framed.
, "physical force Irish republicanism
" represented by Provisional Sinn Féin was gaining support in Northern Ireland at the expense of the "constitutional nationalism" represented by the Social Democratic and Labour Party
(SDLP). Garret FitzGerald became Taoiseach after the Republic's 1981 general election
and announced a "constitutional crusade", including a reframing of the state's attitude to Northern Ireland. He lost power quickly but regained it in the November 1982 election. Before the previous month's election to the reconstituted Northern Ireland Assembly, John Hume had proposed a "Council for a New Ireland" in the SDLP manifesto. Fitzgerald persuaded Hume to accept a Forum open to non-nationalist parties, though in the event only nationalist parties joined. The SDLP's participation persuaded Fianna Fáil to join. The forum was open to "all democratic parties which reject violence and which have members elected or appointed to either House of the Oireachtas
or the Northern Ireland Assembly". From the Assembly, only the SDLP participated; Sinn Féin were excluded, and the Alliance Party
and Unionist parties stayed away. From the Oireachtas, the three main parties —Fianna Fáil
, Fine Gael
, the Labour Party
— joined. Independent
TDs and Senators were not eligible for membership. The SDLP was abstentionist
in the Unionist-dominated Northern Ireland Assembly, which meant its representatives were able to devote more time to the Forum.
The Workers' Party
decided not to become members of the Forum. The Democratic Socialist Party
was ineligible as its sole TD, Jim Kemmy
, had lost his seat in the November 1982 election. These two parties organised a separate "alternative Forum" with the Alliance Party, the Irish Independence Party
, and others.
was appointed chairman of the Forum. It had a secretariat staff of 17, seconded from the Irish Civil Service
; the salary of the secretary of each of the four participating parties was also paid from the Department of the Taoiseach
.
The first session was held in Dublin Castle
on 30 May 1983 and the final session on 9 February 1984. There were 11 public sessions, 28 private ones, and visits to Northern Ireland in September 1983 and Great Britain in January 1984. The forum's steering group, comprising the chairman and the four party leaders, met 56 times in total.
since 1920, and of the Troubles since 1969; it also commissioned reports from external consultants and experts on the cost and logistics of a united Ireland
.
, and the alleged short-term thinking of successive British governments' policy on Northern Ireland. It estimated the high financial cost of the Troubles since 1968, while also acknowledging the high cost of implementing any new political arrangements.
It outlined three possible alternative structures for a "new Ireland":
At Charles Haughey
's insistence, the unitary state was presented as the most desirable option, which Fitzgerald later rued as "ritual obeisance".
Unionist historian Graham Walker writes, "The Forum Report did reflect a more considered appreciation of the Unionists' distinctiveness and their attachment to the Union, but it was also replete with time-worn assumptions and stereotypes, and a partisan historical narrative."
presented a discussion paper of its own entitled Devolution and the Northern Ireland Assembly: The Way Forward (usually called The Way Forward). This described the Forum thus:
The McGimpsey brothers, members of the Ulster Unionist Party, felt the Forum's report totally ignored their contribution.
On 2 July 1984, Jim Prior
, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
commented on the Forum's report in the House of Commons:
In October 1984, in a Seanad
debate on the Forum's report, Mary Robinson
regretted that "the range of contributors invited to make oral presentations to the Forum was too narrow", and remarked that "witnessing the Catholic Bishops and their representatives being questioned by politicians at the Forum may have marked a modest beginning to a healthy separation of Church and State
in Ireland." She endorsed the view of political scientists Kevin Boyle and Tom Hadden, who stated:
On 19 November 1984, at a press conference at 12 Downing Street
after a British–Irish summit in Chequers
, UK prime minister
Margaret Thatcher
dismissed the report's proposals:
This became known as the "out, out, out" speech.
established a committee that produced an unofficial report attempting to reconcile elements of the Forum report and The Way Forward. This report informed the British government's view leading up to the Anglo-Irish Agreement
of 1985. Richard Sinnott suggests the Forum report gave Fitzgerald a mandate
in the negotiations that produced the Agreement.
Charles Haughey was criticised in the aftermath of the Forum Report's publication for appearing to put a more traditionalist interpretation of its conclusions than other parties. This eventually
came to a head when Fianna Fáil, then in opposition party
, opposed the 1985 Agreement as incompatible with the Forum's conclusions, while the other three Forum parties supported the Agreement.
The SDLP's view of the "National Question" became the default position of Irish political parties from then and through the Northern Ireland peace process
. The SDLP's loss of ground to Sinn Féin in the 1985 local elections in Northern Ireland
was attributed in part to the "out, out, out" response to the Forum it had championed.
The Forum has been seen retrospectively an a first acknowledgement by the political parties in the Republic of the need to engage with Ulster unionism and "North-South relationships" rather than ignoring them in favour of the "East-West" relationship with the British government in London. Dermot Keogh
called it "one of the most important intellectual exercises in self-definition since the foundation of the state."
The relatively non-partisan approach of the forum influenced the National Forum on Europe
in 2001 to address Ireland and the European Union.
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The Forum was established by Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald
Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He...
, then Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
, under the influence of John Hume
John Hume
John Hume is a former Irish politician from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble....
. The Forum was initially dismissed, by Unionists, Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, and others, as a nationalist talking-shop. The Forum's report, published on 2 May 1984, listed three possible alternative structures: a unitary state, a federal/confederal state, and joint British/Irish authority. The British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, dismissed the three alternatives one by one at a press conference, each time saying, "that is out", in a response that became known as the "out, out, out" speech. However, Garret Fitzgerald, who described the Forum's report as "an agenda not a blueprint", valued it as establishing a nationalist consensus from which the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
could be framed.
Background
In the aftermath of the 1981 hunger strikes1981 Irish hunger strike
The 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners...
, "physical force Irish republicanism
Physical force Irish republicanism
Physical force Irish republicanism, is a term used to describe the recurring appearance of non-parliamentary violent insurrection in Ireland between 1798 and the present...
" represented by Provisional Sinn Féin was gaining support in Northern Ireland at the expense of the "constitutional nationalism" represented by the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP). Garret FitzGerald became Taoiseach after the Republic's 1981 general election
Irish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
and announced a "constitutional crusade", including a reframing of the state's attitude to Northern Ireland. He lost power quickly but regained it in the November 1982 election. Before the previous month's election to the reconstituted Northern Ireland Assembly, John Hume had proposed a "Council for a New Ireland" in the SDLP manifesto. Fitzgerald persuaded Hume to accept a Forum open to non-nationalist parties, though in the event only nationalist parties joined. The SDLP's participation persuaded Fianna Fáil to join. The forum was open to "all democratic parties which reject violence and which have members elected or appointed to either House of the Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
or the Northern Ireland Assembly". From the Assembly, only the SDLP participated; Sinn Féin were excluded, and the Alliance Party
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
and Unionist parties stayed away. From the Oireachtas, the three main parties —Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
, Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
, the Labour Party
Labour Party (Ireland)
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish...
— joined. Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
TDs and Senators were not eligible for membership. The SDLP was abstentionist
Abstentionism
Abstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in the election itself...
in the Unionist-dominated Northern Ireland Assembly, which meant its representatives were able to devote more time to the Forum.
The Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Ireland
The Workers' Party is a left-wing republican political party in Ireland. Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970 after a split within the party, adopting its current name in 1982....
decided not to become members of the Forum. The Democratic Socialist Party
Democratic Socialist Party (Ireland)
The Democratic Socialist Party was a small left wing political party in the Republic of Ireland. It was a merger of Jim Kemmy's Limerick Socialist Organisation and the Socialist Party of Ireland. Jim Kemmy was an Irish politician and member of Dáil Éireann...
was ineligible as its sole TD, Jim Kemmy
Jim Kemmy
Jim Kemmy was an Irish socialist politician from Limerick, who started his political career in the Labour Party...
, had lost his seat in the November 1982 election. These two parties organised a separate "alternative Forum" with the Alliance Party, the Irish Independence Party
Irish Independence Party
The Irish Independence Party was an nationalist political party in Northern Ireland, founded in October 1977 by Frank McManus and Fergus McAteer...
, and others.
Members
There were 27 members and fourteen alternates.| Party | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... |
Labour Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
SDLP Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader | Charles Haughey Charles Haughey Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil... |
Garret FitzGerald Garret FitzGerald Garret FitzGerald was an Irish politician who was twice Taoiseach of Ireland, serving in office from July 1981 to February 1982 and again from December 1982 to March 1987. FitzGerald was elected to Seanad Éireann in 1965 and was subsequently elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael TD in 1969. He... |
Dick Spring Dick Spring Richard "Dick" Spring is an Irish businessman and former politician. He was first elected as a Labour Party Teachta Dála in 1981 and retained his seat until 2002. He became leader of the Labour Party in 1982, and held this position until 1997... |
John Hume John Hume John Hume is a former Irish politician from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble.... |
| Members |
|
Myra Barry Myra Barry is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. A national school teacher by profession, she was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála in a by-election in 1979 for the Cork North East constituency, following the death of Fianna Fáil TD Seán Brosnan... James Dooge James Clement Dooge was an Irish politician, engineer, climatologist, hydrologist and academic. Dooge had a profound effect on the debate on climate change, in the world of hydrology and in politics in the formation of the European Union.Dooge lived a multifaceted existence with his roles... Paddy Harte Paddy Harte, Honorary OBE, Honorary LLD is a retired Irish Fine Gael party politician who served for 36 years as Teachta Dála for Donegal North East.-Political career:... John M. Kelly (politician) John Maurice Kelly was an Irish legal academic and senior Fine Gael politician.-Education:Kelly received his primary and secondary education at St Conleth's College in Dublin 4 and at the Glenstal Abbey boarding school in County Limerick, respectively.He attended University College Dublin between... Enda Kenny Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since... Maurice Manning Maurice Manning is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. Manning was a member of the Oireachtas for 21 years, serving in both the Dáil and the Seanad. Since August 2002 he has been President of the Irish Human Rights Commission... |
Frank Cluskey Frank Cluskey was an Irish politician and a former leader of the Irish Labour Party.Frank Cluskey was born on 1 April 1930 in Dublin. He worked as a butcher and then joined the Labour Party. He quickly became a branch secretary in the Workers' Union of Ireland. In the 1965 general election he was... Stephen McGonagle Stephen McGonagle was a Northern Irish and Irish trade unionist.Born in Derry, Ireland, McGonagle worked as a plumber. He joined the Derry Labour Party, a small anti-partitionist grouping, but resigned in 1946 in protest at its alliance with the Nationalist Party, instead joining the Northern... Frank Prendergast Frank Prendergast is a retired Irish lecturer and Labour Party politician who served two terms as Mayor of Limerick and served for four years in Dáil Éireann, as Teachta Dála for Limerick East.... Mervyn Taylor Mervyn Taylor is a former Irish Labour Party politician and government minister.He was born to a Jewish family in Dublin. He was educated at Zion School, Wesley College Dublin and at Trinity College Dublin where he qualified as a solicitor.He worked for Herman Good Solicitors alongside Herman Good... |
Austin Currie Austin Currie is a former politician who was elected to the parliaments of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.... Joe Hendron Joseph Gerard Hendron is a Northern Ireland politician, a member of the moderate Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party .... Eddie McGrady Edward Kevin McGrady, known as Eddie McGrady is an Irish nationalist politician and a former member of the British Parliament.One of eleven children, McGrady was educated at St... Seamus Mallon Seamus Frederick Mallon born 17 August 1936, in Markethill, County Armagh, is an Irish politician and former Deputy Leader of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland... |
| Alternates |
Paudge Brennan "Paudge" Brennan was an Irish Fianna Fáil Party politician who sat for 25 years as a TD for Wicklow, was briefly a Senator.... Jackie Fahey John "Jackie" Fahey is a former Irish politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the Fianna Fáil party for over twenty five years.... Jimmy Leonard Jimmy Leonard is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician. He was a Teachta Dála for the constituency of Cavan–Monaghan. Leonard was first elected to Dáil Éireann at the 1973 general election... |
David Molony David Molony was an Irish Fine Gael Party Senator and TD.Born in Thurles, County Tipperary, he qualified as a lawyer and in the 1970s he worked with , a voluntary group providing free legal aid, eventually became FLAC's chairperson.In 1977, he was elected to the 14th Seanad Éireann on the Cultural... Nora Owen Nora Owen , is a former Irish Fine Gael politician. She was a Teachta Dála for Dublin North from 1981 to 1987 and from 1989 to 2002. She also served as Minister for Justice from 1994 to 1997.-Early life:... Ivan Yates Ivan Yates is an Irish businessman, broadcaster and former politician. He was elected as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála representing the Wexford constituency at the 1981 general election and at each election until his retirement from politics in 2002... |
Eileen Desmond Eileen Desmond, née Harrington was a senior Irish Labour Party politician. She served in the Dáil and the Seanad and the European Parliament, and was Minister for Health & Social Welfare from 1981 to 1982.... Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate... |
Sean Farren Sean Nial Farren is an Northern Irish politician.Farren studied at the National University of Ireland, University College Dublin, University of Essex and the University of Ulster... Frank Feely Frank Feely is a nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.Feely worked as a teacher in Newry. At the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973, he was elected for the Social Democratic and Labour Party in South Down. He held this seat at the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention, and at... Hugh Logue Hugh Logue is a Northern Irish former Social Democratic and Labour Party politician and economist who now works as a commentator on political and economic issues. He is also a director of two renewable energy companies in Europe and the United States... Paddy O'Donoghue Paddy O'Donoghue is a selector for the Dublin Senior Football Team along with Mickey Whelan for current manager Pat Gilroy. He was formerly a player for both his county Dublin and his club Kilmacud Crokes.... Paschal O'Hare Paschal O'Hare is a solicitor and former Irish nationalist politician.O'Hare joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party , and he narrowly missed out on being elected to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention for Belfast West. In 1977, he was elected to Belfast City Council, holding his... |
| Secretary | Veronica Guerin Veronica Guerin Veronica Guerin was an Irish crime reporter who was murdered on 26 June 1996 by drug lords, an event which, alongside the murder of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe three weeks earlier, helped establish the Criminal Assets Bureau.... |
John Fanagan | Diarmaid McGuinness | Denis Haughey Denis Haughey Denis Haughey is a former nationalist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Coalisland, Haughey studied politics at Queens University, Belfast, becoming involved in the civil rights movement and the first Chair of the Tyrone Civil Rights Association and a founder member of the Social Democratic... |
Operation
Colm Ó hEochaColm Ó hEocha
Colm Ó hEocha was an Irish scientist and educationalist, who served as president of University College Galway and Chairman of the New Ireland Forum.Ó hEocha was born in Dungarvan, County Waterford, in 1926...
was appointed chairman of the Forum. It had a secretariat staff of 17, seconded from the Irish Civil Service
Civil service of the Republic of Ireland
The Civil Service of Ireland is the collective term for the permanent staff of the Departments of State and certain State Agencies who advise and work for the Government of Ireland. It consists of two broad components, the Civil Service of the Government and the Civil Service of the State...
; the salary of the secretary of each of the four participating parties was also paid from the Department of the Taoiseach
Department of the Taoiseach
The Department of the Taoiseach is the government department of the Taoiseach of Ireland. It is based in Government Buildings, the headquarters of the Government of Ireland, on Merrion Street in Dublin....
.
The first session was held in Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
on 30 May 1983 and the final session on 9 February 1984. There were 11 public sessions, 28 private ones, and visits to Northern Ireland in September 1983 and Great Britain in January 1984. The forum's steering group, comprising the chairman and the four party leaders, met 56 times in total.
Submissions
Submissions were invited in press advertisements; 317 were received, and 31 submitting groups and individuals were invited to make oral presentations to the forum.| Presenter | Session | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Professor of industrial economics at Trinity College Dublin, executive at Bank of Ireland Bank of Ireland The Bank of Ireland is a commercial bank operation in Ireland, which is one of the 'Big Four' in both parts of the island.Historically the premier banking organisation in Ireland, the Bank occupies a unique position in Irish banking history... . |
||
| Jesuit Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a... priest based in Northern Ireland. |
||
| Professor of history at Queen's University Belfast. | ||
| Writer | ||
| Northern Irish playwright | ||
| Northern Irish surgeon, member of Seanad Éireann Seanad Éireann Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by... |
||
| Teacher, writer, and founder member of National Unity National Unity (Ireland) National Unity was an Irish nationalist political study group in Northern Ireland.Nationalism in Northern Ireland in the late 1950s was dominated by the Nationalist Party. This effectively operated as a network of elected politicians. Its attempt to build a rank-and-file movement, the Irish... and the National Democratic Party. |
||
| Northern Ireland Cross-Community Professional Group | ||
| Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann is the primary Irish organisation dedicated to the promotion of the music, song, dance and the language of Ireland. The name of the organisation is often abbreviated to Comhaltas or CCÉ... |
||
| Director of Comhdáil Náisiúnta na Gaeilge, umbrella-group for Irish-language Irish language Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of... organisations. |
||
| Irish Sovereignty Movement | ||
| Methodist Church in Ireland Methodist Church in Ireland The Methodist Church in Ireland is a Wesleyan Methodist church that operates across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on an all Ireland basis, It is the 4th largest Christian denomination in both jurisdictions and on the island as a whole... minister from Belfast |
||
| Synod of Dublin, Presbyterian Church in Ireland Presbyterian Church in Ireland The Presbyterian Church in Ireland , is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Ireland, and the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland... |
||
| Federalism and Peace Movement | Michael O'Flanagan, Michael O'Mahony | |
| Women's Law and Research Group | Belfast feminist group campaigning for reform of divorce law. Clare Clark and Eileen Evason. | |
| Former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the most senior office-bearer within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, which is Northern Ireland's largest Protestant denomination.... . |
||
| Church of Ireland Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church... |
||
| and Bernard Cullen | Professors of philosophy. | |
| Belfast Presbyterian physician, representing an ecumenical bible study group. | ||
| Irish Information Partnership | London-based group collating statistics relating to the Troubles; David Roche and Brian Gallagher | |
| Chair of the Republic's Employment Equality Agency | ||
| and Michael McGimpsey Michael McGimpsey Michael McGimpsey MLA is an Ulster Unionist Party Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast South who has twice served in the Northern Ireland Executive... |
Members of the Ulster Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... |
|
| British Labour Party MP | ||
| Spokesman for a Belfast group of unionist community workers, which submitted papers through the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation The Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation is a non-governmental charitable organization located in Republic of Ireland. Its goal is to promote peace and reconciliation, especially as a response to the Troubles and its aftermath.... . |
||
| Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference |
Publications
Separately from its final report, the forum published three reports on the economic cost of Partition of IrelandPartition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct territories, now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Partition occurred when the British Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act 1920...
since 1920, and of the Troubles since 1969; it also commissioned reports from external consultants and experts on the cost and logistics of a united Ireland
United Ireland
A united Ireland is the term used to refer to the idea of a sovereign state which covers all of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. The island of Ireland includes the territory of two independent sovereign states: the Republic of Ireland, which covers 26 counties of the island, and the...
.
Report
The Forum published its report on 2 May 1984. Its historical treatment heavily criticised the Government of Ireland Act 1920Government of Ireland Act 1920
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 was the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which partitioned Ireland. The Act's long title was "An Act to provide for the better government of Ireland"; it is also known as the Fourth Home Rule Bill or as the Fourth Home Rule Act.The Act was intended...
, and the alleged short-term thinking of successive British governments' policy on Northern Ireland. It estimated the high financial cost of the Troubles since 1968, while also acknowledging the high cost of implementing any new political arrangements.
It outlined three possible alternative structures for a "new Ireland":
- a "unitary stateUnitary stateA unitary state is a state governed as one single unit in which the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions exercise only powers that their central government chooses to delegate...
", i.e. a 32-county Ireland - a "federalFederationA federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
/confederalConfederationA confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
state" comprising the current states of Northern Ireland and the Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... - or "joint authorityCondominium (international law)In international law, a condominium is a political territory in or over which two or more sovereign powers formally agree to share equally dominium and exercise their rights jointly, without dividing it up into 'national' zones.Although a condominium has always been...
" meaning that the British and Irish governments would have equal responsibility for the administration of Northern Ireland; advocated by Richard KearneyRichard KearneyRichard Kearney is the Charles Seelig professor of philosophy at Boston College and has taught at many universities including University College Dublin, the Sorbonne, and the University of Nice.-Biography:...
and Bernard Cullen.
At Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
's insistence, the unitary state was presented as the most desirable option, which Fitzgerald later rued as "ritual obeisance".
Unionist historian Graham Walker writes, "The Forum Report did reflect a more considered appreciation of the Unionists' distinctiveness and their attachment to the Union, but it was also replete with time-worn assumptions and stereotypes, and a partisan historical narrative."
Response
Before the Forum's report was issued, the Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
presented a discussion paper of its own entitled Devolution and the Northern Ireland Assembly: The Way Forward (usually called The Way Forward). This described the Forum thus:
- The SDLP and those political parties in the Republic of Ireland presently participating in the New Ireland Forum have all publicly declared their support for the principle that there can be no change in the constitutional status of the territory of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom without the consent of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland. ... British Governments give a formal written guarantee to this principle ... If constitutional nationalists accept the principle of consentPrinciple of consentPrinciple of consent is a term used in the context of debate on a United Ireland, which states that Northern Ireland's constitutional status cannot change without majority support in Northern Ireland. It is a central theme in the Northern Ireland peace process and was enshrined in the Good Friday...
, it is difficult to see, in logical terms, why some insist that the British Government should withdraw its guarantee of that self same principle. The answer to this apparent inconsistency lies in the long term political strategy of those who seek a United Ireland. ... Constitutional nationalists appear to behave upon the basis that every form of pressure, short of direct force, is valid in order to obtain unionist consent. .... The Forum for a New Ireland is an integral part of this strategy. Not only is it a component in the ongoing pressure for consent by producing a charter of republican reasonableness, it is also necessary for it to set up a blueprint for political structures that would, ostensibly, accommodate unionists in a way that the Republic has never been able to do in the past, and which would have been inconsistent with the State’s ethos and existing constitution. It now appears at least probable that this entire strategy is about to fail.
The McGimpsey brothers, members of the Ulster Unionist Party, felt the Forum's report totally ignored their contribution.
On 2 July 1984, Jim Prior
James Prior, Baron Prior
James Michael Leathes Prior, Baron Prior, PC, known as "Jim Prior" , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he was a Member of Parliament from 1959 to 1987, representing the constituency of Lowestoft from 1959 to 1983 and the renamed constituency of Waveney from 1983 to 1987...
, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
commented on the Forum's report in the House of Commons:
- Most people recognise that parts of it were disappointing and unacceptable to the British Government or British people. However, I recognise that there was positive value in its serious examination of nationalist aspirations, its emphasis on the importance of consent, its unequivocal condemnation of violence, its attempt to understand the Unionist identity and its openness to discuss other views.
In October 1984, in a Seanad
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
debate on the Forum's report, Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
regretted that "the range of contributors invited to make oral presentations to the Forum was too narrow", and remarked that "witnessing the Catholic Bishops and their representatives being questioned by politicians at the Forum may have marked a modest beginning to a healthy separation of Church and State
Separation of church and state
The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....
in Ireland." She endorsed the view of political scientists Kevin Boyle and Tom Hadden, who stated:
- The Report of the New Ireland Forum has been widely welcomed as the most positive contribution to solving the Northern Ireland problem for some years. Yet, it is equally widely recognised that the Report's prescriptions are totally unrealistic and can only be pursued, if at all, in ways which are inconsistent with the principles it asserts.
On 19 November 1984, at a press conference at 12 Downing Street
12 Downing Street
12 Downing Street is the official residence of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury. This is the post held by the Chief Whip of the governing party of the UK Parliament....
after a British–Irish summit in Chequers
Chequers
Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
, UK prime minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
dismissed the report's proposals:
- I have made it quite clear ... that a unified Ireland was one solution that is out. A second solution was confederation of two states. That is out. A third solution was joint authority. That is out. That is a derogation from sovereignty. We made that quite clear when the Report was published. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. She is part of the United Kingdom because that is the wish of the majority of her citizens. The majority wish to stay part of the United Kingdom.
This became known as the "out, out, out" speech.
Effects
Lord KilbrandonCharles Shaw, Baron Kilbrandon
Charles James Dalrymple Shaw, Baron Kilbrandon PC was a Scottish judge and law lord.-Family and education:...
established a committee that produced an unofficial report attempting to reconcile elements of the Forum report and The Way Forward. This report informed the British government's view leading up to the Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
of 1985. Richard Sinnott suggests the Forum report gave Fitzgerald a mandate
Mandate (politics)
In politics, a mandate is the authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative.The concept of a government having a legitimate mandate to govern via the fair winning of a democratic election is a central idea of democracy...
in the negotiations that produced the Agreement.
Charles Haughey was criticised in the aftermath of the Forum Report's publication for appearing to put a more traditionalist interpretation of its conclusions than other parties. This eventually
came to a head when Fianna Fáil, then in opposition party
Opposition Front Bench (Ireland)
Fine Gael is the largest political party in the Oireachtas. The Fine Gael leader appoints a team of TDs and Senators to speak for the party on different issues. Their areas of responsibility broadly correspond to those of Government ministers. -Fine Gael Front Bench:...
, opposed the 1985 Agreement as incompatible with the Forum's conclusions, while the other three Forum parties supported the Agreement.
The SDLP's view of the "National Question" became the default position of Irish political parties from then and through the Northern Ireland peace process
Northern Ireland peace process
The peace process, when discussing the history of Northern Ireland, is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent political developments.-Towards a...
. The SDLP's loss of ground to Sinn Féin in the 1985 local elections in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland local elections, 1985
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 15 May 1985.-1981 elections:The previous elections had been fought in the middle of the hunger strike and the H-Block Prison Protest...
was attributed in part to the "out, out, out" response to the Forum it had championed.
The Forum has been seen retrospectively an a first acknowledgement by the political parties in the Republic of the need to engage with Ulster unionism and "North-South relationships" rather than ignoring them in favour of the "East-West" relationship with the British government in London. Dermot Keogh
Dermot Keogh
Dermot Keogh is Professor of History and Emeritus Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration Studies at University College, Cork.-Bibliography:*Church and Politics in Latin America ISBN 0312028156...
called it "one of the most important intellectual exercises in self-definition since the foundation of the state."
The relatively non-partisan approach of the forum influenced the National Forum on Europe
National Forum on Europe
The National Forum on Europe was established by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, TD, in the aftermath of the rejection of the Treaty of Nice by the Irish people in 2001...
in 2001 to address Ireland and the European Union.